Chester le Street Town Ladies welcomed Durham Cestria to Moor Park. This was the first time that these two teams had met in a league competition in the National League. They had met last season in the semi final of the Durham FA county cup in which Durham had won.
Considering that last week Chester had lost 5-1 at home to Leeds United there was hope before the game that they could get a positive result against Durham. So far Durham had picked up 8 points from 5 games whereas Chester had 7 from 4 games.
The first 10 minutes saw an even start from both sides with neither team managing to get a shot at goal. Durham got the first corner of the game but it didn’t amount to anything as Chester were able to clear the ball.
Soon after Chester were applying pressure of their own with Nichole Havery, she laid off a pass back to Tiegan Hutchinson who took a shot but one of Durham’s defenders were able to header the ball clear.
Straight away Durham go on the counter-offensive and manage to have a shot from a wide position, but it just goes across the goal.
19 another attack from Durham which eventually goes out for a goal kick to Chester.
Durham were awarded a free kick just outside the 18 yard box after Rachel Mellor had fouled one of their players. The free-kick was well struck but Stephanie Jones made the save look easy.
Durham continued to have a few further attacks towards the Chester le Street goal however any shots were either saved by Jones or dealt with by the Cestrian defence.
Around the 30 minute mark Chester played a good ball up the left wing towards Nichole Havery she then pulled a pass back for Laura Hockaday who then had a good shot at goal. The Durham keeper (Brooke Mackan) wasn’t able to completely deal with the ball as it spilled out of her hands. Kacie Elson was the first to react but she had to run to the ball from almost behind the keeper. She wasn’t able to get fully round with the ball and the Durham defence was able to clear the threat.
Durham then applied pressure on themselves as one of the centre backs headed the ball back to goal but Mackan seemed to forget that she could pick the ball up and tracked back into her own area with the ball at her feet. Havery pounced at the mistake she got herself into a position to put a cross into the box, towards the far post, but there was no-one there.
37 minutes and Havery passes the ball to Kacie Elson who then puts a cross in towards Hockaday but again Durham are able to deal with it. There was no further pressure from Chester so Durham were able to clear the ball.
Just before half time Durham broke the deadlock from a cross, Chester defenders didn’t seem to track all of Durham’s players as Lily Crosthwaite was able put the ball in the back of the net.
At half time the visitors lead 1 nil. After the break Chester immediately apply pressure, Mackan had been passed the ball but when she tried to clear tried to clear it Havery was right there but the keepers clearance just hit her in the back.
After just 12 minutes into the second half Abigail Thompson had to be subbed as she had picked up a knock to the head after she had earlier collided with a Durham player, she was replaced by Brogan Prudhoe.
The majority of the second half was similar to the first with plenty of end to end attacking play by both teams. The Durham players had plenty of pace about them but the Cestrians didn’t give in and they got stuck in to try and get an equaliser.
On 67 minutes Durham were once again on the attack, their first effort at goal was stopped by Jones but Sophie Hodgson was able to get to it first and she scored Durham’s second goal.
Chester did try to get themselves back into the game but they just weren’t able to. Durham went on to win 2 nil.
